Seven Tears into the Sea
by Dragon-Overlord-Yuu
Summary: Loki gets kicked out of school and finds himself with no direction in life other than to stave off his boredom with mischief, cheap thrills, and his love of the sea. When a tragedy strikes, leaving Loki spiraling further into depression, one thing leads to another and he ends up taking in an injured man he found on the beach. Loki gets way more than he bargained for


The beach was quiet at this time of night.

A lone figure strolled along the shore, leaving a trail of footprints in his wake, which were quickly swept away by the ocean's waves.

Towards the very end of the beach was an old abandoned dock. The worn wooden boards creaked with every step. A large grin formed on Loki's face when he was met with the sight of a tiny sailboat parked at the dock. Despite its old age, it was very clear it has been given plenty of love and attention. Where the off-white paint was chipping, it was covered by beautifully intricate Celtic knot carvings or "tasteful" marker graffiti. The inside of the boat held the bare essentials...at least for Loki. A couple of thrift store pillow cushions, a stash of snacks, and a large, soft blanket for the cold ocean air.

Loki's fingers gently brushed along the edge of the boat, "Hey Sleipnir, it's been a while…"

The boat rocked slightly as he jumped into it without much hesitation. He untied the ropes tethering it to the dock and let it drift out into the ocean. As the boat ventured further into the open sea, he makes quick work of putting up the sails. The entire process was ingrained in every fiber of his being, he pretty much can do it without thinking about it. He ties down the last rope and finally lets himself rest, letting the cool ocean breeze do the rest of the work for him. Long, crimson locks of hair whipped around his face as he took a deep breath of the salty sea air. The ocean was calm tonight and not a single cloud was in sight. Each and every star in the sky was reflected on the water's pitch black surface, making it look as if Loki was sailing on the fabric of space itself.

Loki looked out to the shore that was far behind him. It was so dark, it would've been difficult to distinguish where the sea ended and the land started had it not been for the raging bonfire and the flashing neon lights coming from one of the most remote parts the beach.

The redhead laughed to himself, 'Grandma would kill me if she found out I was out here.'

But considering how strict his grandmother was about Loki being out by the ocean late at night, it was far too easy for him to sneak out. If he wanted to, he could sail this boat farther and farther away and leave this tiny seaside town behind. No responsibilities to worry about, no expectations to uphold...just Loki and the sea. The thought wasn't new to him, but he wonders what exactly is stopping him from following through with it.

A splash pulls him from his thoughts. Loki peers over the edge of the boat, but it proved futile as the water was too dark to see much of anything. But still, he continued to look into the ocean, searching for any indication of movement.

Suddenly, something bursts out of the water and jumped at him. Startled, Loki jumped back, nearly tipping the boat over. His hand clutched at this chest, trying to still his pounding heart. After a few deep breaths, he collects himself again. Loki cautiously crawled to the other side of the boat and looks into the water again...only to find nothing there.

Loki reached over the edge of the boat, splashing water around to catch the attention of whatever jumped at him, but after a few moments….there was nothing. It was just him out here in the middle of the vast open ocean.

He let out a sigh and laid back into the boat, letting his hand dangle into the ocean. Loki loved the sea, he really did. He didn't know why, but he's always had a fascination with it ever since he was a child. He grew up on fantastical tales of what could be possibly dwelling under the surface and that curiosity never quite went away as a young adult. Besides, it was the one thing left in this shithole town he enjoyed….the one thing that made him truly happy anymore.

Ever since his parents' deaths, his grandmother absolutely forbid him from going anywhere near the sea, let alone in his parents' old boat. He knew deep down she meant well, but sometimes her overprotectiveness made him feel like he was suffocating sometimes. But Loki was never one for following the rules and he gets away with it...most of the time. Besides, nothing can ever come between him and his love.

Loki stayed drifting in that tiny, creaky boat well into the night, taking in the cool ocean breeze and the starry black void of the sky until he decided he needed to get back before his grandmother noticed he was gone. He wished he didn't have to leave. Maybe the gentle rocking of his boat could lull him to sleep and when he woke up, he'd end up somewhere far away from here. With a wistful sigh, he steered the boat back towards the old dock, where he knew it would be very well hidden from the rest of the beach.

Despite being in a relatively secluded part, Loki could hear the DJ blasting some shitty dubstep tune along with the swarms of people raving along to it. He could feel the sand underneath his feet vibrate to the bass of the music.

On second thought….maybe he should stay a bit longer and have some fun.

He slipped his sneakers back on and climbed over the rock formation that separated the old dock from the rest of the beach. He was greeted on the other side by a massive bonfire, flashing lights, and a huge crowd of people with glow sticks. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol, weed, and bile.

From the corner of his eye, Loki noticed some poor bastard completely blackout drunk on the sand. He was surrounded by cigarette butts and several beer bottles and it seemed he was helping himself to another drink before he passed out.

Loki bent down and reached over him, "That's mine now." He said as he seized the unopened beer bottle. He popped the cap off with a sharp piece of rock.

'Drink more. Feel less. Now that's a good time.'

He chugged down half the bottle, grimacing at the awful taste. Honestly, what did he expect of cheap beer? He could already feel the buzz of the alcohol begin to set in, so he hardly even cared in the end.

Once he feels himself loosen up a bit, Loki wasted no time in pushing through the plethora of party-goers so he could join in on the festivities, but what he didn't account for was just how dense the crowd was. Before he can even make it to the middle of all the action, he found himself being shoved in every direction back out of the furthest boundaries of the mob. He barely had time to react before he stumbled into one of them. The sudden smell of beer in the air and the sudden emptiness in his beer bottle made it very clear to Loki what just occurred. Dread settled in Loki's gut as he turned and saw the man look down at his ruined shirt. He looked back up at Loki and just from the menacing look in his eyes, Loki could tell he wasn't going to get out of this situation easily.

"Hey, you alright, kid?" The man asked, with absolutely no concern or sincerity in his tone.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Loki replied, ducking to get past him.

Before he could make it a few steps, the man stepped in front of him, blocking his way, "Hey, relax, kid. You bumped into me, remember?"

"Yeah. My bad, dude."

The creep takes a long drag of his cigarette and blows the smoke in Loki's face, "You don't know who I am, do you?"

Loki frowned in annoyance, dodging the man again, "Nope. Don't really give a shit, either."

"Let me know how that works out for you...Bitch!"

Loki walks off, but not before regarding him with a crude middle finger gesture. He shoves his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, sighing in disappointment, 'Okay, rave is a no-go.'

Well, he has no other choice but to head back home, much to his chagrin. His eyes scan around the beach until they land on the silhouette of the lighthouse looming over the beach. He makes his way towards it, deciding to take the longer path so he didn't have to come home too soon. As quick and as silently as he could, he weaves through the maze of pitch-black alleyways until he found himself at the main docks. Usually during the day, this place would be bustling with fishermen bringing in their morning catch, which made the eerie calmness of the place that much unsettling. All he could hear was the sound of crashing ocean waves and the creaky fishing boats rocking with the tide.

But something felt off. Along with the noise of the ocean, he could hear his own footsteps tapping against the concrete...as well as someone else's tapping out of sync with them.

He briefly glances back, immediately recognizing the man he had bumped into earlier, along another, just as sketchy, man which he presumed to be a friend of his.

For a moment he thought nothing of it an assumed they must be going home the same way he was. He turned and walked along one of the wooden docks to see if they would just pass him by. They did not.

"Oh fuck, don't tell me this is about the beer." Loki muttered to himself. He stopped when he was near the edge of the dock and turned around to face the two men what were tailing him, "Look, I said I was sorry."

"Not good enough."

Loki let out a sigh. Okay, faking politeness was straight out the window, "Alright fine. Let me show you how unimpressed I am by limp-dick assholes who get butthurt over a spilled beer."

The man's companion laughs, "I think he's calling you out, dude."

"I'm going to make him regret every word." The man says, glaring Loki down with a sneer, "Every. Word."

Loki could feel his gut twist into knots, but he wasn't going to let these two see his fear. He unconsciously balled his hands up into tight fists, mentally preparing himself for whatever might come. "You think I'm fucking around? You want me to get angry? You're not gonna like it, I'm warning you." His voice wavers slightly, and he cursed himself internally. So much for trying to appear tough.

The man let out a raspy laugh, "How cute. You think you can take me."

Loki backs slowly as the two men corner him until he was dangerously close to the edge of the dock, leaving him no means of escape. Thinking quickly, he swung his fist into the man's gut and shoved him aside as hard as he could to give himself an opening. He attempted to make a run for it, but he doesn't make it too far with the other man stopping him with a quick fist to his face. Loki stumbled back upon impact, going back to where he started. The first man recovered quickly and was advancing towards him, only stopping for a moment to shatter his beer bottle against a post. Now finding himself out of options, Loki gulped and squeezed his eyes shut as he awaits his impending doom.

A loud, throaty yelp broke the silence. Before anyone had time to react, a dark shape suddenly jumped out of the water, taking a mouthful of the shirt belonging to the man about to attack Loki. It falls back into the water just as fast it jumped, taking the man down with it. The other man turned his attention away from Loki, now only concerned with aiding his friend. The redhead was stunned for a brief moment but came to his senses quickly enough to realize this was his chance to escape. Just as the two managed to climb back on the dock, Loki was already too far for them to chase after him. He looks back at them with a devilish smirk on his face, bidding them goodbye by flirtatiously blowing them a kiss, followed by a lovely middle finger.

* * *

Loki was woken up the next morning by a paw batting at his face. He let out groan, waving the paw away with his hand, "Go away, Fenrir…"

The cat responds with a loud meow and next thing he knew, Loki was met with a face full of fur. He immediately shot up in his bed, sending the orange and white Maine Coon tumbling onto his lap. "Fen, what the hell?!"

Fenrir stares up at him and keeps on meowing incessantly, making Loki roll his eyes, "No, I'm not feeding you. Go bother Grandma for that."

It wasn't until a few more moments of demanding food that Fenrir finally figured out she wasn't going to get any from her red-haired human. She hopped out of Loki's lap and scampered out of his room, hoping to get food from the other human in the house.

Loki was about to lie back down, hoping to catch a few more minutes of sleep. "Loki, breakfast!" He heard his grandmother called from downstairs.

He groaned in mild annoyance, but he eventually crawled out of bed, albeit reluctantly. It must've been three in the morning by the time he snuck back in. By then he was too exhausted to think about changing clothes, so he just passed out with whatever he had on. Loki briefly brought the collar of his shirt to his nose, immediately gagging a little at the stench. Apparently the few hours of sleep he got was more than long enough for the smell of ocean brine and beer to set in and it was definitely noticeable.

The smell of bacon and smoked salmon immediately overwhelmed his senses the moment he stepped out of his room. Even from upstairs, he could hear his grandmother humming a pleasant tune in the kitchen. Despite her seemingly good mood this morning, Loki knows that's going to change as soon as they start a conversation. As quietly as possible, he crept across the hall and slipped into the bathroom. Once he absolutely made that the door was locked, Loki stripped out of all his clothes, carelessly throwing them into the laundry basket.

He was sure he wouldn't be bothered for a while. He usually wasn't.

He turns the knob all the way up and jumped in, letting the scalding hot water fall onto his bare skin for a moment before going about his regular shower routine. He let his soapy hand gently trace along his chest, then his stomach before it finally grabbed at his length. His mind wanders off into his own world as he slowly stroked himself, feeling his frustrations disappear into the haze of pleasure. He pretends the hand touching him was not his own, but that of a lover. That person that appeared in his dreams who'd lovingly caress him, committing every part of him to memory and whisper sweet words of love to him. As hazy as they were, Loki preferred his time with them much more than he ever did his own waking life. Of course for now, it's best that he left them only in his dreams.

He bit his lip to keep any sounds from escaping that his grandmother would definitely hear. His hand tried to grip at the sleek tile wall to keep himself from slipping. His hand moves faster and faster as he feels himself approach his climax. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally felt that familiar knot his stomach snap. His legs trembled through his orgasm and he watched in a drunken daze as the thick white fluid splattered all over the shower floor, only to be quickly washed down the drain.

As soon as he came down from his high, he immediately reached for the soap and scrubbed himself down very thoroughly until his skin was red from the friction. He tries to conclude his shower quickly before his grandmother could scold him for wasting water and the last thing he wanted was to give her another reason to lecture him. Wearing only a towel around his waist, he quietly padded back to his room shivering, leaving a trail of water on the varnished wooden floors. He picks up whatever clean clothes he could find on the floor and quickly throws them on before making his way downstairs.

Loki stops for a moment, glancing at the antique cupboard by the dining table. One would expect it to be filled with fancy china that'll never be used, but instead Loki's grandmother used it to display the many trophies and certificates Loki had accumulated over the years. In the middle of it all was a framed photo of Loki smiling while proudly holding a certificate for the science fair he had won that year. It was ages ago...Loki still didn't understand why his grandmother insisted on keeping all of his awards, just so they'd sit there and collect dust. At this point, they were all just meaningless pieces of plastic, their only purpose being a conversation starter for any guests that come by.

'I can't believe I was a hardcore science athlete in my freshman year…' He laughs bitterly as he stares vacantly at the photo, 'Huh, did I peak in high school?'

Loki continues making his way toward the kitchen, where he found his grandmother standing in front of the stove, humming away absentmindedly. He leans against the doorway and just stood there silently for a few moments, hoping his grandmother would acknowledge his presence eventually.

It wasn't long before she does. She turns off the stove and wiped her hands on her apron as she turned towards her grandson. Her eyes go wide the moment she lays eyes on him, "Loki, is that a black eye?"

Loki quickly turns away from her, "Uhm...no?"

Agnetha rushed over to Loki and just grabbed him by the face, gently coaxing him to turn towards her. Loki, despite himself, didn't put up much of a fight as he let his grandmother take a look at his wound.

"It's okay, Grandma...I just walked into a door." Loki tried to assure her.

"You seem to be walking into a lot of doors lately." She goes over to the freezer and pulls out a bag of frozen peas, tossing them over to Loki "Loki, when I send you a text message, like last night, I need you to answer."

"You can just say text...you don't need to say message."

"And I need you to answer without the snark." Agnetha scolded him, "Now, sit. I made you breakfast."

"No thanks. I'll just….grab something later." Loki said before letting out a yawn.

"Tired, huh? That'll teach you to stay up past curfew."

Loki scoffed, "I'm in college now. I don't think I need a curfew."

"Oh, you think the college excuse will get you out of this? You don't even go to your classes. Do you have any idea how much I have to fight with the dean to keep you on scholarship?" Agnetha argued, "I would think you being on academic probation would make you change your ways, but it looks like it didn't teach you anything."

Loki doesn't answer.

Agnetha let out a sigh, "Loki...between your grades and your disregard for my rules...I see you slipping. Do you have any idea how much I worry for you?"

"Then don't."

"Where even were you last night?" She asks.

There was a long moment of silence before Loki muttered under his breath, "Do I even have to tell you…?"

"You did not." Agnetha gasps, "Loki Laevatein, how many times do I have to tell you are absolutely forbidden from going out into the ocean. It's dangerous!"

"Grandma, when you forbid me from doing something, it just makes me want to do it more." Loki replied in a playful tone, "Besides, it didn't kill me yet….Aren't you just paranoid that it'll take me out like it did with Mom and Dad?"

"Enough." Agnetha angrily snapped as she shoves a boxed lunch into Loki's hands, "Get in the car. I'm taking you to school. I don't want to argue with you any more right now."

Loki rolled his eyes, "Fine."

Well, that outburst certainly confirmed his suspicions. After slipping on a pair of black canvas sneakers, he reluctantly dragged his feet towards the front door and made his way towards his grandmother's rusty junk pile of a vehicle. He sulked quietly in the passenger seat as he waited for his grandmother to come out of the house. Loki felt like a goddamn child again, having his grandmother insist on driving him to school.

After a while of waiting, he could feel his drowsiness begin to creep up on him. Loki leaned back into the seat and let himself doze off into the world of dreams.

* * *

Loki dreams of the sea.

He's floating in an endless blue void, the gentle currents pulling him along as if he weighed nothing. But he wasn't drowning. In fact, he breathed better in it.

Dark, hazy shapes surround him, gliding effortlessly through the water with their round, streamlined forms. Their incoherent, high-pitched calls echoed all around him. He felt comfort with them, oddly enough.

One of the shapes morphed in before his eyes, turning into a vaguely human like silhouette. It came closer to him, and Loki was unable to move as it did. Shadowy hands caressed him, his face, his arms, his waist. And Loki welcomed it, like an old friend.

He lets the stranger embrace him, losing himself in the sheer warmth of it. He never wanted to leave it or this underwater wonderland he created for himself.

He could sleep forever….

* * *

HONK

"Ah!" Loki jumped awake from his slumber. He frantically looked around, slowly coming to realize where he was.

Agnetha bids him farewell with a soft smile, "Have a nice day, Kjære."

"Whatever." Loki grumbled as he stepped out of the car.

He could hear the sputtering of his grandmother's car driving away as he approached the towering school building looming over him...or as he liked to called it, the overly expensive prison.

He always thought college would be more relaxed compared to high school, but with a majority of the student body consisting of the most privileged individuals, they seem to bring their petty drama and problems to school with them. Constantly having to hear about a different scandal every other week, it was no wonder why Loki chose to skip school often.

"Loki!" A familiar voice called out to him.

He looks around the courtyard until he spotted two familiar heads of blue and lavender hair. Takeru and Tsukito Totsuka, Loki's friends since childhood and probably the only other people he feels close to.

Loki makes his way over to the picnic table they were sitting at. He greets Takeru with the secret handshake they've had since they were kids, while Tsukito regarded him with a simple, "Hello." as he was currently preoccupied with something on his laptop to do much of anything else.

"We hang out with each other pretty regularly, why are you acting like you hadn't seen me in years?" Loki asked.

Takeru shrugged, "Well, it's nice to see you on campus for once."

"I'm not here because I want to, you know." Loki said with a sneer, "Do you think I would willingly come to a place with a bunch of stuck-up elitist assholes?"

"Why do you think I'm genuinely happy to see you here? Had it not been for you or Anii, I would've lost my sanity with this place a long time ago." Takeru replied, "I'm sure a majority of them aren't even smart enough for this place so their parents just resort to waving money around to get them in."

"It's true. And I can tell you exactly who they are, if you want." Tsukito added, not once looking up from his computer.

Loki leaned over the table to get a glimpse of Tsukito's computer screen, only to be met with the sight of garbled code he couldn't even bother deciphering, "Whatcha doing there, Robin Hood?"

"Diverting corporate funds from a huge pharmaceutical company to charities that provide medical care to those who can't afford it." Tsukito answered nonchalantly as if what he wasn't conducting any illegal activity at all.

Loki smiled in approval, "Nice. Stick it to capitalism."

"Whoa, what the hell happened to you?" Takeru asked, gesturing to Loki's black eye.

"Beach rave. Spilled my beer on some skeevy asshole. Got decked in the face for it."

Takery raised his eyebrows, "How...how am I not surprised?" He let out a laugh, "Maybe you should've invited me. We could've raised hell together."

"Hmm...I'm always happy to have my partner-in-crime back... but you're lucky I'm considerate enough to not distract you while you're working for your internship...How's that going, by the way?"

"Ah, fuck don't even mention it to me. I sent my application a month ago and still hadn't heard from them." Takeru let out a groan, gripping at his blue locks of hair, "The anticipation is probably gonna kill me before they even manage to contact me."

"Is it really that big of a deal?" Loki asked.

"Oh no, not really, considering it's for literally one of the biggest marine biology facilities in the country." Takeru shot back sarcastically.

"Eh, don't worry so much; I know you'll make it. It's you, after all." Loki reassured him, "And once you do, you're gonna become the best marine biologist Arcadia Bay has ever seen!"

"Wow, I think that's the first time you've said something genuinely nice to me." Takeru's eyes widen slightly, a bit taken aback by Loki's words of encouragement, "Did fucking I slip into an alternate reality?"

"Hey, take the moment to relish in it. This is the only time I'll ever be nice to you."

Takeru gently punches Loki in the arm, "Shut the fuck up."

"Takeru, isn't your class starting?" Tsukito suddenly spoke up.

Takeru picks up his phone and checks the time, "Shit!" He snatched up his bag and sprinted for the school building.

Tsukito closed his laptop and shoved it into his bag, "I should go too."

"I'm sure those sick children will be very happy, Tsukito." Loki sends him off with a wave, "See you later."

Loki sat alone at the picnic table for a few moments, contemplating whether to attend class or not. He envied the Totsuka brothers a bit. They had goals and ambitions to work towards, while he had...nothing, really. So he just ended up going about his life listlessly, acting upon his own whims for some cheap thrills. And right now, he was content with that.

It didn't take long for Loki to make his decision….Fuck it.

His stood and began pushing through the crowds of students. This place was a cage and Loki wanted out.

Once he escaped school grounds, he made a run for it. He ran and he ran. He quickly found himself speeding through the town and towards the docks. It wasn't long before he was out of breath, but it hardly even mattered.

The ocean was calling for him.

* * *

Loki was laying down in his boat, desperately panting for breath. His sweaty clothes stuck to him as the sun shone their hot, scorching rays down on him.

But he felt at peace again. The ocean was surrounding him.

He sat up and took in the view before him. From this distance, he could make out the various fishing boats dotting the area closer to the shore, the lighthouse sitting at the top of the cliff, the very town he felt trapped in...it all just seemed so small to him. One day, he'll leave it all….one day.

Loki was suddenly alerted by a loud splash. His immediate instinct was to peek over the edge of the boat to find, this time, a lone brownish-grey harbor seal floating in the water just staring up at him.

Loki scowled at it, "What the hell are you looking at?"

The seal tilts its head, continuing to look up at him with big blue eyes. Loki couldn't help but be drawn in by them. He's never seen or heard of a seal with such blue eyes. It's like they were two huge mirrors reflecting the sky above them.

After a few moments of observing the creature, Loki noticed that it was holding something in its mouth.

"What do you have there?" Loki reached his hand out, hoping maybe the seal would somehow understand the gesture. Much to his surprise, it dropped whatever it had into his open hand.

"What the…?" Loki inspected the item closely for a while, before realizing he recognized it from somewhere. It was the same scrap of fabric from the shirt belonging to the man that tried to attack Loki the previous night. "Where did you get this...?"

The seal looked up at him with a playful twinkle in its eyes, as if to say "Where do you think?"

"Wait...were you the one that snatched up that sketchy guy from last night?" Loki asked.

The seal nodded as it let out a happy yelp. It does little flips in the water, ecstatic that Loki was able to figure it out.

The redhead couldn't help but laugh, "What shall I reward you for your valiant rescue?" He asks jokingly.

The seal approaches Loki's boat and responds by prodding at his bag with its nose. At first, Loki was confused as to why it would take such an interest in his picked it up and rummaged through it to find the lunch Agnetha had packed for him earlier that he was planning to throw away later.

Ah, it must've smelled the fish.

"You want this?" Loki asked, offering the seal his lunch container.

The seal nodded its head in response.

"Alright." Loki said, "It's not like I was gonna eat it anyway."

He opens the container and picks out a piece of salmon, holding it up just so it's barely above the seal's head. The seal doesn't hesitate to jump up and snatch the piece of fish from Loki's fingers. It let out another bark, as if begging for more.

"You really like it, huh?" Loki laughs softly as he fed it another piece. "Have as much as you want." He held out his lunch container for the seal to help itself.

The seal yelps happily, as if thanking Loki for the meal. It swam closer so that it could nuzzle against his legs affectionately.

"You want me to pet you?" Loki leaned forward, tentatively reaching a hand out in case it suddenly decided to attack him. Much to his pleasant surprise, it didn't and it actually welcomed Loki's petting. It let out a sound similar to a purr as Loki gently scratched the top of its head.

Loki couldn't help but smile softly at the seal, "Hey, you're...pretty cute…"

He had expected it to leave as soon as it got a meal and some attention, but as Loki stayed drifting in his boat for the rest of the afternoon, it stuck very close. Oddly enough, Loki found that he didn't really mind it.

Loki quickly lost track of time. Before he knew it, the sun was sinking below the horizon, painting the sky in fiery hues of orange, yellow, and pink.

"Ah, I should get home before Grandma yells at me again."

The seal let out a whimper, as if begging Loki not to leave.

"What do you look so sad for?" Loki chuckled, patting the seal on the head, "I'll be back tomorrow."

The seal immediately perked up and barked happily. It dove into the water and began swimming towards the shore, only stopping a short distance from the boat to look back at Loki.

"Oh, you wanna lead me back?" Loki asked, "Okay."

Loki steered his boat in the direction the seal was going, who led him safely back to the old dock. He hopped back onto the dock and secured his boat back onto it.

Loki waves his hand at the seal as he turned to leave, "See you later."

The seal waved its flipper in response before diving back into the ocean.

Loki made his way back home with a noticeable bounce in his step. As he approached the front door, he could smell his grandmother's cooking from the outside. The scent intensified as soon as he let himself inside, which made his stomach growl embarrassingly loud.

Agnetha peeked her head out of the kitchen, as if the sound of Loki's stomach alerted her. "Oh, Loki...you're home on time." She greeted him.

"Yes….?"

"I can't remember the last time you came home by curfew. I'm pleasantly surprised." Agnetha laughed, "Loki, how was school?"

"Oh fine…" Loki answered.

"You're smiling. Did something good happen?" Agnetha asked.

Loki shrugged, "I'm just in a good mood. Nothing special, really."

"Oh, see? I knew going back to school would do you some good." Agnetha said in delight, "Come, sit down. Dinner's ready."

Loki set his bag on the couch and went to seat himself at the dinner table. He wondered if she really believes that Loki stayed in school today. Whether she did or not, Loki still tried to humor her. "What did you make?"

"Fårikål." Agnetha answered, setting a huge pot in the middle of the table.

Loki sighed quietly in relief. Finally, something that's not fish for once. He could at least stomach the lamb and cabbage stew.

They ate their dinner without much conversation, even though Agnetha would occasionally try to ask Loki about his day getting only terse responses from him. Loki couldn't remember the last time they actually sat down and had dinner together and he definitely didn't remember it being this tense. Just as they were finishing up, the timer could be heard ringing from the kitchen.

"Oh, I'll be right back!" Agnetha gets up from her seat and hurries back into the kitchen. It wasn't long before the smell of apple and cinnamon wafted into the room, making Loki feel like the dinner he just ate suddenly disappeared from his stomach.

"I made your favorite apple cake." Agnetha said as she came back in with a delicious-looking cake, "I feel terrible for arguing with you this morning. Consider it a peace offering."

"Thanks." Loki replied, helping himself to a huge slice. He quickly scarfed it down with the same enthusiasm he always had.

"Do you want any more?"

Loki shook his head and went to take his dishes to the sink. He hurried upstairs to his room before Agnetha could ask anything more. Fenrir had followed him to his room and was already waiting for him on the bed as he stripped down to only a t-shirt and boxers.

Loki picked up Fenrir, placing her onto his lap as he settled into bed. He takes a few moments to just stare out the window, where he had a spectacular view of the ocean. His mind wanders and he suddenly found himself thinking back to that friendly little seal. He laughs to himself. It was weird, but he was honestly looking forward to seeing it again. Would it even remember him, he wondered. Loki shook his head, clearing it of all those thoughts. He can't believe he got this attached to this wild animal after just one encounter.

Loki pulled the blankets over his head and he soon found himself lulled to sleep by the sound of the ocean's waves.

* * *

The next morning, Loki woke up before Agnetha in hopes that he could get out of the house before she tries to drag him to school.

His schedule was the same as usual: get in the shower, touch himself, get out, change clothes, and try to smuggle food out of the kitchen.

He opened the fridge and began shoving as much fish as he could into a small lunch container. He then shoves the container into multiple layers of plastic bags, which were tightly sealed each time to contain the fishy smell.

Before he could set foot outside of the kitchen, Loki could feel Fenrir rubbing herself against his legs. She plopped herself onto the floor in front of him, looked up at him, and began screaming.

"Fenrir, shush!" Loki whispered harshly, "Don't wake up Grandma."

Fenrir continues meowing loudly at him, now trying to climb onto his legs. Loki let out a quiet hiss of pain as her claws dug into his skin through his jeans. It didn't take him too long to figure out exactly what she wanted.

Loki sighed in exasperation, pulling Fenrir off of him and setting her down, "Fine, I'll give you some fish; just shut the hell up!"

He walks back to the fridge and pulled out a package of raw salmon. He quickly cooks it over the stove before breaking it up into pieces and filling Fenrir's bowl. "There. Happy now?"

Fenrir let out a quiet meow in gratitude before indulging in her meal.

"Jeez, why do you act like you've never been fed ever, you fat bastard?" Loki asked her while affectionately scratching the back of her neck.

While Fenrir was distracted by her meal, Loki crept towards the front door as quietly as humanly possible. Once he successfully made it out of the house, he wastes no time getting to the beach and onto his boat.

He was on high alert for the entire morning, searching the vast open ocean for any sign of a seal. For a while he heard or saw nothing. As time went on, Loki could feel his gut twist with anxiety. Did something happen to it? Or maybe it didn't remember him after all and Loki was just being delusional thinking it could communicate with him?

As a last resort, he opened the container of fish and threw a small piece into the water. He waits…

A moment later, he hears a splash and sees a dark shape circling around his boat. He held another piece of fish and waved it above the surface of the water. It wasn't long before the seal shot out of the water to snatch it up.

"I see. You can only be summoned by fish, huh?" Loki laughs in amusement, "I'm a little hurt."

The seal let out a whine and rubbed its head against Loki's outstretched hand.

Loki gently pets it, finding himself oddly fascinated by the feel of the seal's sleek fur, "You're lucky you're adorable."

Like yesterday, the seal kept Loki company until the day ended.

It was an odd little seal, to say the least. As far as he knows, seals tended to feel threatened by human contact. If that was the case, then this one was borderline fearless in comparison. Or just stupid. Loki couldn't really tell.

It kept coming back everyday to see Loki and it'd always stick close to his boat until he had to leave. Loki made it a habit to bring fish for every visit and sometimes in return, the seal would dive deep into the ocean for a moment to bring him a pretty shell or two as a gift. It seemed so silly to Loki, but he kept them all safely contained in a mason jar in his room, regardless.

And at some point, it began to recognize Loki's boat as well. By the time Loki got to it, the seal would be lying on the beach nearby waiting for him. Without fail, it was always so happy to see Loki. As soon as he arrived at the beach, it'd bounce and flop over to him and bark happily to greet him. On some days, Loki doesn't even go on his boat and just sit on the beach only to enjoy his new friend's company.

And despite the fact he can't have much of a conversation with it, it seemed to understand him perfectly….or at least know how to respond to him appropriately. He knows seals are incredibly intelligent creatures, yet oddly enough, this one in particular behaved so eerily human-like.

What a strange seal this was, indeed.

* * *

Before Loki knew it, summer had arrived.

One morning Loki came downstairs, he didn't smell any breakfast. His grandmother wasn't cooking this morning. Instead, she stood in the kitchen looking absolutely livid.

"Loki…." Just from that tone alone, he could tell she was barely containing her anger, "The dean called us into his office."

"Oh no, I wonder why." Loki replied sarcastically.

"Enough. Let's go." Agnetha took him by the wrist and dragged him to the car.

The drive was tense. Agnetha did not say a single word the whole time and Loki couldn't really bring himself to initiate a conversation. Not when his grandmother was radiating pure rage like this.

Despite it being close to the end of the semester, the campus was still bustling with students trying to finish up the last of their final exams or preparing for their summer classes. Some of them stopped and stared as Agnetha dragged Loki towards the dean's office. He could hear them laughing at him, making him so sure this was going to spawn rumors in less than 12 hours. But if this was what he thinks is, then he isn't too worried about all that.

Agnetha knocked on the heavy wooden door. "Come in." A deep, booming voice answered from the other side.

They let themselves in, greeted by the dean sitting at a large mahogany desk. Loki never really liked him much. His ability to run was school was...questionable at best, but Loki can admit he is especially great kissing the asses of the school's sponsors. In fact, Loki is entirely convinced that the dean is more concerned with keeping the school funded than actually doing the right things.

"Ah yes, please have a seat you two."

Agnetha seats herself at one of the chairs in front of the desk, then looks back at Loki expectantly. The redhead simply rolled his eyes and begrudgingly sat at the only other available chair.

"Now I'm sure you two are wondering why I called you here today." The dean began, his gaze stern and unwavering, "As you know, this university's code of conduct is built upon a foundation of mutual respect mean to foster an environment conducive to education and enrichment."

Loki couldn't help but snort at that statement. Either this man was blind or just willfully ignorant to be blissfully unaware of all the drugs, sex scandals, and partying that goes on on campus. Oddly enough, he found it quite amusing that the dean honestly believes that the student body were an honorable bunch.

"Mr. Laevatein, are you listening?"

Loki immediately snapped out of his thoughts, "Uh….what?"

"The last time we spoke, you agreed you would use this period of academic probation to reform yourself into an exemplary Blackwell citizen."

Loki leaned back in his chair, scoffing, 'Really? I don't recall such a thing.'

"—In the event you were unable or unwilling to do so, we also agreed that it would become pertinent to reassess your future status at this university. You chose to ignore all that and engaged in the following actions throughout the whole semester: various counts of vandalism, numerous class disruptions, aggressive verbal behavior with professors and other students, failing to attend classes, and one incident of bullying another student. And don't think we don't know about your frequent run-ins with law enforcement."

"Hey, I was trying to defend that guy. Maybe you should talk to the one that actually instigated the bullying?" Loki retorts, "Oh, but it's much easier for you to pin the blame on me than on a star athlete, isn't that right?"

"Loki!" Agnetha chided him.

"Mr. Laevatein, I will acknowledge you to be a brilliant and intelligent individual, but you have chosen time and time again to waste your potential on empty rebellion. So with that in mind….Loki Laevatein...unfortunately we're going to have to expel you."

Agnetha gasps as her eyes go wide, "What?!"

"Alright." Loki immediately got up from his seat and left the office, "I'm out this bitch."

"Loki!" Agnetha called out after him.

He doesn't stop, not even for her. It wasn't until he was out in the parking lot that Agnetha caught up to him.

"Loki, stop!" She grabs Loki by the wrist, "I just want to talk."

Loki immediately rips himself from her grasp, "Can we do this later, Grandma? I don't think I can handle another fight right now."

"And who do you expect to handle things for you? Me?" Agnetha said angrily.

Loki shrugged nonchalantly, "Well, what is there to say? There's no point in holding off the inevitable."

"Loki, you had a scholarship! Do you know what that means? Do you have any idea what you just gave up?"

"Grandma, the point of lowering expectations is so that you'll never be disappointed ever again."

Agnetha sighed in exasperation, "Christ, Loki...what am I going to tell your parents?" They didn't say anything to each other for a brief moment, but it was more than enough time for the tension between them to build until it was so uncomfortably thick, one could cut it with a knife. "I've made up my mind….I'm going to send you to Portland and have you stay with your aunt and uncle."

As soon as those words left her lips, he could feel knots twisting in his stomach as he felt like his entire world crumble before him. As much as he hated Arcadia Bay, he hated the city even more. "No fucking way!" He yells, his voice echoing throughout the space around them.

Agnetha's eyes widen slightly at her grandson's outburst, but she continued to stand her ground, "Loki, I'm sorry, but my hands are tied at this point. If I can't help you, maybe they will."

The redhead let out a huff, crossing his arms in annoyance, "You do know I hate Thor's parents with every fiber of my being, right?"

"Loki! You don't hate them."

"All they ever do is look down on me and treat me like a freak. They're a bunch of dickholes." Loki said, "Maybe I just need to be left alone."

"Maybe you're misguided and you don't know what you need." Agnetha argued, "I did the best I could, Loki...I don't know where I lost you."

"You know what? Fine! Go ahead and dump me onto them. It's not like I need you anymore anyway!" Loki's voice echoed throughout the whole parking lot.

As soon as those words left his mouth, it seemed like all time had stopped. Agnetha stood there wide-eyed, completely dumbfounded. Loki could feel his stomach lurch as he began to process that he just said something like that to his grandmother's face.

Without another thought, Loki immediately turned away and ran off. Agnetha called out to him, but she couldn't bring herself to go after him this time.

* * *

Takeru happily whistles away as he chopped up some green onions in a rhythmic fashion. His brother's pet rabbit sat on the counter, watching curiously as he cooked. He pauses for a moment to offer Usamaro a piece of carrot, which he immediately grabbed with his mouth and started nibbling on it. Takeru let a chuckle as he scratches the top of Usamaro's head before he went back to cutting again.

He fumbles slightly with his pace when he hears the doorbell ring once...then twice...then another three more times.

"Anii, could you get that?" He called, not once looking up from the cutting board.

The lilac-haired man emerged from the basement, his amber eyes groggy from staring at a bright computer screen for hours on end. He tiredly dragged his feet towards the front door and opened it, only to be greeted by red hair and a shit-eating grin.

"Oh, it's you." Tsukito stated obviously.

Loki shrugged, "Who else would it be?"

"What brings you here?"

"Come on Tsukito, we've known each other for years. Don't you think I can just come over without a reason?" Loki answered as he let himself in.

"You got into a fight with Agnetha again, didn't you?" Tsukito pointed out, "And I would assume it's because you got expelled."

"Well shit, who told you, Sherlock?"

"Gossip spreads unsettlingly fast at Blackwell, you know." Tsukito answered, "Don't think no one saw you arguing in the parking lot."

"Of course, doesn't anyone shut up around here?" Loki groaned, rolling his eyes.

Tsukito shrugged, "It's a small town, everyone talks."

Takeru peeked his head out of the kitchen, frowning as he laid eyes on Loki, "Ah shit, I gotta make dinner for three again?"

"Depends, what are you making?"

"Sukiyaki." Takeru sighed, walking over to the fridge to retrieve a third portion of meat and vegetables.

"Takeru, there's something in the mail for you." Tsukito called from the living room.

"What is it?" Takeru asked.

"I think you know." Tsukito answered, with a slight knowing look in his eyes.

Takeru immediately dropped his knife and jumped the counter to snatch the letter from Tsukito's hand. He impatiently rips the envelope apart. His eyes skimmed through the letter intently, as if they were reading through some sort of sacred text. Takeru was silent the entire time he was reading, which made the tension slowly thicken in the room. He seemed to have gone through ten different facial expressions the further he read. "No way...no fucking way…!"

"What?"

"I got in! I got the internship!" Takeru announced, beaming brightly with joy.

"Really?" Tsukito took the letter from Takeru's hands and read it for a brief moment, "Oh, so you did." He said in dull surprise.

Takeru abruptly paused his little celebration. "Wait, you didn't hack into the system to make sure I got chosen, did you, Anii?" He asked, eyeing his brother suspiciously.

Tsukito shook his head, "I absolutely swear I didn't." He promised, "Besides, it's almost impossible for me to get into Olympia's system from the outside."

"The only way you'd know that is that you tried."

"Maybe."

"Anii..." Takeru chided his older brother as he glared at him.

"But it had nothing to do with your internship, I promise." Tsukito assured him, "I was just curious to see if I could get in at all. But anyway, congratulations, Takeru."

"Yeah, congrats you fucking nerd." Loki chimed in, patting Takeru on the back. "Told you you'd make it."

"Hey, we should call up Akira and tell him." Takeru pulled out his phone without much hesitation.

"Okay, but do you really gotta announce it to everybody you know?" Loki questioned him in amusement.

It took a few rings before Akira's face appeared on screen, "Hello hello, about time one of you called me."

"Akira! How's New York?" Takeru greeted him.

"Crowded. Noisy. Thank god you called me. I was about to have a breakdown trying to get my portfolio together." Akira said, letting out an exasperated sigh, "Fashion design school is so demanding."

"That's rough, dude…" Takeru replied sympathetically,

"Anyway, where's my darling Tsukito? Is he home?"

Tsukito leaned over until he was in the camera's line of sight. He regards his older brother with a silent wave.

"Wow, I'm surprised you're still here. I figured you would've gotten yourself arrested or kidnapped by now."

Tsukito frowned, "I know what I'm doing, Akira. That's why I'm still here."

"Oh, is that Loki I see over there?"

Loki leaned into view, greeting Akira with a wave, "Hey."

"It's been a while. How have you been?" Akira asked.

"Just got kicked out of school. Grandma yelled at me. Everything's great." Loki replied nonchalantly.

"I'm not surprised. Blackwell never suited you anyway. But I really wish you wouldn't stress out poor Agnetha too much." Akira said, "I wish I was back in Arcadia Bay with you guys. I really miss Agnetha's Norwegian apple cake. Are you sure she can't give me the recipe, Loki?"

"I tried to get it out of her for you, but she says if she gave it to you, she'll have to kill you." Loki shot back jokingly.

"Anyway, anyway, guess why I called you." Takeru cut back into the conversation.

Akira laughs, "You know I'm bad at guesses, Takeru. Just lay it on me."

"So remember I said I was applying for an internship at Olympia?"

"Yes, you literally would not shut up about it, even before I left." Akira replied, rolling his eyes a little.

Takeru proudly presents the letter to Akira, "I got it!"

"Oh wow, Takeru, that's great!" Akira exclaimed, "Tsukito didn't have to hack into Olympia's system to get you in, did he?"

"Why don't either of you trust me?" Tsukito asked in a mildly offended tone.

"Hackers aren't exactly the kind of people to be trusted, Tsukito." Akira responds bluntly.

Suddenly, a ringtone goes off. Tsukito briefly dug through his pockets before he pulled out one of his burner phones, "Oh sorry, I have to take this. The Agency probably has another job for me."

He hurriedly left the room as he answered the call, greeting the person in perfectly fluent Korean.

"I'm so proud of you, Takeru, really." Akira said, "You're one step closer to becoming a marine biologist like you've always wanted."

Takeru let out a sigh, "I know. I still can't believe it's happening."

"Anyway, I guess I can assume you plan to stay the night, Loki. You're welcome to my room if you want." Akira offered.

Loki scrunched up his nose, shaking his head in refusal, "No thanks. I don't think I can sleep in a room that smells like a Bath and Body Works."

"Well, excuse me for wanting to make sure I smell nice, but go off, I guess." Akira retorts, seemingly offended by Loki's statement. "Anyway Takeru, you keep me updated on that internship and please, for the love of god, try to keep Tsukito out of trouble."

"I'll do my best. Later, Akira."

Akira blew a kiss at the screen which made Takeru groan in response before he finally hung up. He went back to busying himself with the cooking while Loki occupied himself with playing with Usamaro.

"Can you go get my brother and tell him dinner's ready?" Takeru asked.

"Yeah, sure."

Loki went over to the basement, hearing the frantic clattering of a keyboard from behind the door. He slowly crept down the stairs as to not alarm Tsukito and sure enough, He found Tsukito seated at his desk, the room only dimly lit from the three different monitors he worked on.

"God, don't you ever turn on the lights in here?"

"Lights are distracting." Tsukito stated simply, not once tearing his eyes away to face Loki.

"Anyway, go eat dinner before you pass out or something."

"Just a second."

"Tsukito, I know damn well a second means three hours with you." Loki said, "Now go, before Takeru has to get down here and drag you."

Tsukito sighed as he shut down the monitors and followed Loki upstairs to the dinner table. Takeru had already set up a pot over a small portable stove, along with a plate of all kinds of vegetables and meat.

Dinner was rather uneventful for the most part. Takeru spent most of it rambling about whatever crossed his mind while Tsukito quietly listened and Loki occasionally contributed.

"Ta-tan, you need to eat your mushrooms if you wanna grow~" Loki teased the younger Totsuka brother by piling all the mushrooms into his bowl, much to the latter's disgust.

Takeru picked up a bit of mushroom with his chopsticks and flung it over at Loki, "Fuck off, this isn't Super Mario Bros."

Tsukito lets out a sigh, "Takeru, I'd rather not have my dinner ruined by another food fight." He reached over Takeru and took the mushrooms for himself.

Takeru sniffled dramatically, making it seem like he was going to cry, "God bless you, Anii."

Once dinner was finished, Loki had volunteered to do the dishes, or rather, Takeru made him do so as payment for letting him stay the night.

"If you don't want to sleep in Akira's room, then I suppose you can take mine." Tsukito offered, "My current job is probably going to take me all night anyway."

"I swear to god, that intelligence agency is gonna kill you one day."

"I'm gonna die saving the world, at least. It'll be worth it." Tsukito responded jokingly.

"Just don't tell Takeru that." Loki said, "He'll never let you anywhere near a computer again."

They bid each other good night before retiring into their rooms, or in Tsukito's case, back to the basement.

Tsukito's bedroom was meticulously neat and orderly, just like him. Loki doesn't even think Tsukito has even touched this room in a while, considering how much time he dedicates to his hacking job. The amount of dust accumulating on all the furniture pretty much confirmed it. Usamaro had followed him inside and was already curled up on a small pillow on the bed next to what was supposed to be Tsukito's pillow. Loki regarded him with a scratch between the ears before climbing into bed. At least Usamaro was much less fussier than Fenrir is and Loki sort of envied Tsukito for having such a calm and quiet pet. Animals take after their owners, he supposes.

It wasn't long before Loki found himself unable to fall asleep. Even from here, he could hear Tsukito typing away on his keyboard, which certainly wasn't helping. He could feel the hours dragged on as he kept staring into the darkness.

He can't hide out here forever and as much as he wasn't too keen on the thought, he'll have to face Agnetha eventually. He briefly contemplates just running away, but realistically, there was no way that could be accomplished when he's now a college dropout with no job.

He fucked up. He knows that deep down. But even then, he was too prideful to acknowledge it...let alone bring himself to apologize to his grandmother.

It didn't really matter in the end...Agnetha finally gave up on him.

So he does what he does best: convince himself it wasn't his fault and blame his problems and faults on someone else.

Yeah, that seemed a lot easier, he thought to himself as he finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Loki's phone rang non-stop all morning. The first few times, he had managed to sleep through it, but by the fifth time, it annoyed him enough that he finally answered it. He picked up his phone, his groggy eyes barely recognizing his cousin's name displayed on the screen.

"Hello, Loki?"

Loki yawned, "Thor? What the hell, it's 6 AM?"

"You need to hurry to the hospital now." Thor explained with a noticeable sense of urgency in his voice, "Grandma was admitted last night and she's in critical condition."

Loki's eyes widened, "What!?"

Before Loki could ask anymore, Thor had already hung up. Loki quickly jumped out of bed and sprinted past the kitchen to get to the front door.

"Whoa, what's the hurry?" Takeru asked, poking his head out of the kitchen. "Care to stay for breakfast at least?"

"Get me to the hospital...Grandma...she's…."

Loki didn't have to explain any more as the Totsuka brothers immediately dropped what they were doing and bolted out the door with him. Once all three of them had gotten into Takeru's rusty blue pickup, Takeru wastes no time flooring it out of the driveway.

Loki sat in the backseat, practically trembling with anxiety. Most of the ride was a blur to him, really. Agnetha was gonna be fine, right? She has to be!

"Can't you go any faster?"

"I'm doing my fucking best, chill." Takeru said as he sped through the winding roads.

After what seemed like an eternity on the road, they had finally made it to the hospital. Loki practically stumbled out of the vehicle and immediately made a beeline towards the emergency room. He practically startled the receptionist when he loudly demanded she tell him where his grandmother was.

With Tsukito and Takeru trailing behind him, Loki frantically dodged his way through the doctors and nurses, only stopping when he caught sight of his cousin.

"Thor!" He called out to him. As he approached him, he noticed how weary he was, presumably from being up at the latest hours of the morning keeping tabs on Agnetha. Even under his usual stoic demeanor, Loki could easily tell Thor was barely trying to keep himself together.

"Thor...where's Grandma?" Loki asked quietly.

Thor hesitated to answer for a moment. The silence made the atmosphere all the more tense. The only thing Loki's hearing could process was a loud, shrill continuous beep that pierced right through his eardrums.

Finally, Thor brought himself to respond with just the shake his head, "Loki, I'm sorry….they tried everything…"

"No...no fucking way!" Loki lunged for Thor, desperately grabbing at his shoulders, "You're a doctor, right? You could've done something!"

"Loki….we're not allowed to treat immediate family. There was nothing I could do."

It was just then Loki realized what the long piercing sound that rang in his ears had meant. He could feel himself shut down from the world around him. He was vaguely aware when he crumpled to the floor sobbing, but that was about it. Even when Tsukito and Takeru held him as he cried, he felt no warmth from them...just numbness.

* * *

Agnetha never really liked the rain.

Ironically enough, it was pouring on the day of her funeral. It suited the somber mood, if anything.

The funeral was small, consisting mostly of Loki's distant relatives...at least the ones that could make it. Tsukito and Takeru were in attendance as well, not only to support Loki, but also because they both grew up in Agnetha's care when their parents were overseas and they loved her as if she was their own.

Unfortunately for Loki, his aunt and uncle had showed up and he was positive they would have less than nice things to say, so he tried to avoid them as best he could. Their eulogy almost made Loki want to vomit with how blatantly insincere it was. But for the most part he was pretty despondent the whole time, finding comfort in the numbness. It was the only way he could keep himself together at this point. At least he didn't have to mind the pitying comments from relatives he barely even knew.

The longer he stayed, the more he wanted to leave. He could feel the guilt creep on him slowly, like a poison coursing throughout his entire body. If he could right now, he would get on his knees and beg his grandmother for forgiveness without a second's hesitation. But she's long gone now...whatever's in that wooden casket didn't feel like her anymore.

Finally, after four excruciating hours, the funeral had come to an end.

"That poor boy…he's going to be on his own from now on…" Loki heard one of his older relatives whisper. Or rather, if she was trying to whisper, she wasn't doing a very good job at it.

A soft chuckle rang through the air, "Well, he brought this on himself." Another voice said. The last voice he wanted to hear, "Didn't he just get kicked out of school?"

Loki grits his teeth. He's not facing her directly, but he could practically feel the smirk on his aunt's face.

'Shut up'

"I feel so bad for her...it must've been stressful for her to have to raise a child like him." She continued her conversation loudly, knowing full well Loki was within earshot.

'Shut up, shut UP'

"Does he even feel sorry? He looked like he didn't want to be here for her."

When those words left her mouth, Loki could feel a fiery hot rage build up in him.

"Shut up shut up shut up SHUT UP!" Loki's voice rang throughout the whole cemetery. Without another thought, he just ran.

"Loki!" He heard Takeru call out to him, but he pretended he didn't. He just wanted to get away, from all these people. They all blamed him for her death, he just knows it deep down. The scariest part was, he himself was starting to believe the same.

Not long after, Tsukito and Takeru went to go look for him. The search wasn't difficult as they found him in the forest near the cemetery, curled up in a ball.

"There you are." Tsukito sat beside him, "Are you okay?"

Loki silently shook his head.

Takeru pats his shoulder sympathetically, "Don't listen to them, Loki….it's not your fault."

"Come, we'll take you home." Tsukito said, helping Loki up to a stand.

The drive home was...quiet. Loki spent the entire time staring vacantly out the window. The only thing he could focus on was the tiny splatters of rain moving about against the glass window.

"She had a good funeral." Tsukito spoke up, in an attempt to break the silence, "I'm sure she's happy wherever she is now."

"At least she doesn't have to put up with my bullshit anymore." Loki replied bitterly, "She's probably up there with my parents telling them what a disappointment I am."

"Loki...I'm sure she doesn't think of it that way." Tsukito tried to assure him.

"I know….she loved me until the very end...even though I don't deserve it."

After another 20 minute drive in silence, Takeru pulled up in front of the lighthouse.

"Thanks for taking me home, guys...I just...need some time alone."

Tsukito nodded, "Of course, Loki. Take your time."

"And don't hesitate to call us if you need anything." Takeru said.

"Thanks, but the last thing I want from you guys is for you to coddle me."

Loki dragged his feet toward the front door. He briefly turned back to watch Takeru's pickup drive down the winding road until it disappeared into town.

Fenrir was at the door waiting to greet him on the other side. She let out a soft meow as she rubbed herself against his legs. It was a usual gesture for her, but this time it didn't feel like she was using it to ask for food.

Loki bent down to scoop her into his arms. Immediately after, she begins nuzzling her face against his, as if attempting to comfort him. Loki carried her to the living room couch and curled up with her.

"At least I still have you, huh?" He buried his face into Fenrir's soft fur.

Loki looks up for a moment and finds Agnetha's phone lying on the coffee table. He curiously picks it up and turns it on, the screen prompting him for a passcode. Agnetha never told it to Loki, but it wasn't difficult for him to guess. His finger tapped the numbers 1-0-2-4….his birthday. Of course...

What Loki was met with was a screen displaying a series of texts sent to him the night before.

[11:00 PM: Loki, where are you?]

[11:45 PM: Loki, it's almost midnight, please come home. I'm worried...]

[12:10 AM: I'm not mad anymore. Please, I want to talk.]

[12:35 AM: Loki, I won't send you away. We'll work something else out, just please….answer me.]

[1:05 AM: This is partially my fault...I know things have been difficult for you since your parents passed away and you were acting out to deal with your grief. I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner and I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you. What I've been wanting to tell you is, I can't expect you to be the perfect straight-A student you once were, nor can I expect you to move on from your parents quickly….and that's okay. I know you didn't mean what you said and I love you no matter what. Despite everything, you were the best thing to ever happen to me. You need to know that. (Message not delivered. Tap to retry)]

In that moment, Loki could feel the guilt begin to consume him once more. His hands trembled as he tightly gripped at the phone. His tears dripped onto the screen before he shut it off and hurled it against the wall in an outburst. It breaks into a million pieces upon impact, but Loki couldn't bring himself to care. Fenrir was startled by the noise and jumped out of Loki's arms to hide away.

This wasn't what he wanted. If he had known Agnetha's days were numbered, maybe he would've tried to be better for her. Maybe he wouldn't have been kicked out of school.

But instead, Loki had told her such awful things he didn't mean and now he could never take it back.

* * *

Loki doesn't dream of the ocean this time.

Instead he dreams of home, at a time when there was warmth and happiness.

He was his tiny little child self navigating through a fort of blankets and cardboard, or as he called it, his pirate ship. He was Captain Loki Redbeard, the most vicious pirate sailing the seven seas. With a cutlass in hand, made of toilet paper rolls and duct tape, he bravely took on the Kraken. Loki batted at the old stuffed octopus with all his might until the cardboard tubes were bent and warped. In the end he deemed the homemade weapon useless and just resorted to tackling the plushie to the ground.

Agnetha chuckled as she watched Loki giggling in absolute glee at his victory, "Alright Loki Redbeard, settle down. It's past your bedtime."

"Awww." A little red-haired child pouts, "Don't wanna!"

"I'll tell you a story if you get into bed right now."

Loki immediately ditched his makeshift ship and scrambled to get under the covers.

"Now, which story do you want tonight?"

"The seal one!" Loki exclaims without much hesitation, "Tell me the one about the seals!"

"Again? You've heard it a million times already, I'm sure you remember it well by now."

Loki clasps his hands together and looked up at his grandmother with pleading eyes, "Pleeeeeease?"

Agnetha laughs, unable to resist the look on her grandson's face, "Alright alright, you win, Min kjære." She lovingly ruffles his fiery red hair as she pulled up a seat at his bedside, "Now, how did it start again…?"

* * *

It was pitch black in the house when Loki woke up...and also uncomfortably quiet. Loki still isn't used to the fact that he's the only one here now.

He blindly groped around for his phone for a moment before he found it buried underneath the couch cushion. He squints his eyes as the bright screen presented him with a bunch of missed calls and texts from both Totsuka brothers that he couldn't be bothered to answer to. His eyes glanced at the time at the top of the screen. It was one in the morning.

Loki let out a sigh as he let his phone drop onto the bed. He couldn't believe he managed to sleep through a whole afternoon. And even then, he still felt like shit.

He jumped out of bed, pulling on his sneakers and hoodie. He rushed out of the house as he couldn't stand how empty it was now. It felt like the void of emptiness was suffocating him and he needed to get out of there now.

His breaths came out in labored puffs as he ran. Loki didn't know where he was going or what location he had in mind. His mind completely blanked out as he let his feet carry him to god knows where.

The sound of crashing waves pulled him back to reality. A shiver ran through his spine as the chilly ocean breeze blew against his skin. Of course. He was naturally drawn to the ocean. It was no wonder why he ended up here. He looked out to the wide ocean ahead. It was calm, vast, and pitch black, like a void that could swallow him whole at any given moment. Honestly, he wishes it could right now. He just wanted to disappear right now, so no one could ever find him ever again. Without thinking, he takes a few steps forward until he could feel the waves gently lap at his feet, as if beckoning him into its depths. The water had completely soaked through his canvas sneakers but he couldn't care less as he absentmindedly walked further out towards the ocean.

He stops himself when he suddenly felt a hand grab at his shoulder, pulling him back towards the safety of the shore. "What the…?!" He jumped back in a startled panic, losing his footing somewhere in the process and stumbling backwards into the sand.

Loki stared up at the dark figure looming over him. Fear settled in his gut as he fumbled with the phone in his hands before finally managing to turn on the flashlight. The stranger winced as Loki shone the bright light at him.

Sky blue eyes stared back into Loki's own silver ones. Loki didn't even notice the seconds ticking by as their gazes held. He just couldn't bring himself to look away. The man was completely naked and nearly every inch of his skin was splotched black and blue. Long strands of pale blond hair blew in the chilly ocean breeze, some of it partially stained red from the blood dripping from the side of his head. Neither of them exchanged words but Loki could read the distress in the stranger's eyes.

They were desperately begging him for help and Loki couldn't bring himself to refuse them.

Loki stood slowly, "Hey...what the hell happened to you?"

The man did not answer as he began to sway as he stepped closer to Loki. After a few steps, he just completely collapsed into Loki's arms.

"Whoa!"

Loki just stands there, completely at a loss. He couldn't just leave him here for someone else to find him and do god knows what to him. The stranger seemed harmless and vulnerable enough...and Loki wasn't that big of an asshole. He just hopes this doesn't bite him in the ass later and he turns out to be an axe murderer or something.

Loki gently set the man down on the sand, "Hey, can you hear me?"

The man let out a whimper, but Loki took that answer as a yes. Loki slipped off his hoodie and draped it over the stranger's shoulders, hoping it was enough to cover him.

"Listen, I'm going to help you, okay? But I'm going to need you to stand. Can you do that?" With his hands firmly gripping the man's shoulders, Loki pulls him up to a stand. "Here, get on my back."

The man nodded and climbed onto Loki's back. It took Loki quite a bit of effort to lift him, but once he managed to do so, he started making his way back towards home. At some point, his legs had started to ache from carrying what was estimated to be a 130-pound man up the hill where the lighthouse was. He lets the man down once they reached his front porch. Never once loosening his grip on him, Loki fumbled with his keys for a moment before he finally managed to get inside.

"There's some stairs we still need to get up. Can you handle it?"

There was a weak, quiet groan in response, which Loki took to mean a "no"

"It's okay, I'll help you." Loki took the man's arm and draped it around his shoulder, then used his other hand to grab at the man's waist. He lifted him up the steps, one by one and by the time they reached his room, he was absolutely exhausted. Finally, Loki gently dropped the man onto his bed. He turned on the lamp on his nightstand, the lighting giving him a better view. Now that he noticed...he was in much worse condition than he thought.

"Shit...you look so fucked up…" he whispered as he stared in shock and disgust. Who would even do this to someone?

"Just lie down for now. I'll call someone who can help you." Loki pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts for a moment before finding the number he wanted. He held the phone to his ear, anxiously pacing back and forth as the tone rang, "Come on, come on…"

"Hello?"

Loki let out a sigh of relief, "Hey Thor...I hope I didn't wake you up?"

"Not really….I've been having a hard time sleeping after Grandma's funeral anyway." Thor replied, "Is there something you wanted to talk about?"

"I'm sorry if this isn't a good time but...I really, really need you to come over right now." Loki said, "You're not gonna believe this."

* * *

 **Surprise bitches, bet you though you've seen the last of me.**

 **So yeah, this originally was gonna be a soley Loki/Balder fic but then world-building happened and I just piled on more and more ideas until the other two pairings ended up having their own story arcs within this universe**

 **...this is gonna be quite the clusterfuck**


End file.
